Who Should I Start? Ka'imi Fairbairn or Chase McLaughlin

Friday, September 5, 11:27 PM

Houston Texans kicker Ka'imi Fairbairn and the Texans take on the Rams in Week 1, giving Fairbairn a boost since he's playing indoors at SoFi Stadium. Last year, he connected on 36 field goals in 42 attempts, the second-highest season total in his eight-year career. He set a new career best with an impressive 13 field goals from 50+ yards, with a long of 59 yards. He also added 34 extra points in 36 attempts. The Rams ranked in the middle of the pack against kickers last season, while Fairbairn ranked sixth among kickers in standard scoring. He's also the No. 6 kicker in RotoBaller's rankings for Week 1, making the 31-year-old from UCLA an excellent play in normal formats to start the season.

Saturday, September 6, 9:59 PM

Tampa Bay Buccaneers kicker Chase McLaughlin will look to keep the good times rolling after a strong 2024 campaign. McLaughlin posted a career-high 93.8 percent conversion rate on field-goal attempts last season. The 29-year-old knocked down 30-of-32 field goals and 54-of-56 extra point attempts across 17 games with the Bucs. He'll enter his third season in Tampa Bay as it appears McLaughlin has found a long term home. The Bucs have a strong enough offense to give McLaughlin plenty of opportunities. McLaughlin should be considered a strong kicking option in what could be a high-scoring game in Week 1 versus the Atlanta Falcons.